Poetry Friday--Not "Arguing with Something Plato Said"

I was skimming through a listing of poems on The Poetry Foundation's website and came upon "Arguing with Something Plato Said" by Jack Collom. It stopped me short since I had mistakenly read it as "Arguing with Something Potato Salad"! [Click here for Collom's poem. I found it unreadable. That's just me, I have a short attention span. I prefer short and to the point, which Collom's poem is not. Perhaps you will love it?]

In any case, I decided I liked "my" title better and figured I'd better write a poem (short and to the point) to go with it. Not my easiest challenge, but potato salad brought to mind an invitation to a Cinco de Mayo party that I received many years ago--before Cinco de Mayo became another excuse for Americans to drink to excess. Here's a cherita sequence with a slightly altered title. (A cherita is a three-stanza poem that tells a story. The first stanza, one line, sets the scene. The second stanza has two lines, the third has three.)

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

No Arguing With Something Potato Salad-y

1
invitation

please, don't let it require
a costume

...even worse
a request to contribute
a potluck dish

2
always a catch

"please use a food native
to the Americas"

what kind of host
presumes guests will know
how to research?

3
potatoes

I might have thought
Ireland, but no

native to Peru
in the 16th century
introduced to Europe

4
purchase complete

five pounds of
Solanum tuberosum

there should be
no arguing with something
potato salad-y


The unusual party invitation did indeed request a dish made with a native ingredient. I made a potato salad, but I also added beans and corn--two other native foods. I should have argued with myself about something potato salad-y! It wasn't great, rather bland. If only I had added some heat, but that was a time before I became a fan of hot seasonings.

Kathryn Apel is hosting this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up--from Australia!

Haiku Sticky #424

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

urban park ranger
stops to point out wildlife
Canada goose

Happy Haiga Day!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Text:

a whistle buoy's
constant reminder
of peril
the sunniest days are when
we are taken unawares

Poetry Friday--"Seaside Grave: Little Frances"

I spent an afternoon in a graveyard taking pictures for a project a few years back. One gravestone in particular moved me with it's poignancy. The stone was old and worn, without even a last name. It was leaning up against a newer type stone, but I can't be sure the people within the graves were related.

The graveyard was nowhere near the sea, but I took a little poetic license. Overall, I think it's a fairly depressing piece.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

A frosty glass bottle
at the edge of the beach
abutting a graveyard.

A victim to time, tides, and
sand, the bottle has been
wiped clean of its identity.

Both the contents, and,
you, Frances, in a nearby
grave, remain a mystery.

We know you existed.
What we don't know
is when and for whom.

Or, if, in your short life,
you tasted sweet bottled
syrups or bitter medicines.

Still, your family chose to
send you through eternity
as their "Little Frances."

Do we need to know more?
No more than we need to
know who filled the bottle.

Jone will be hosting the Round-Up today at Check It Out.

I apologize to all who left a comment here last Friday. Things were crazy and I never sat down long enough to respond to your kind words.

Haiku Sticky #423

In the public library world, no one EVER AGAIN wants to hear the question, "Do you have eclipse glasses?"

I hope everyone survived yesterday's eclipse with their vision intact. I do have my doubts, though, after hearing some of the misconceptions people had about viewing the eclipse. With any luck, they did a little research first before going outside. I'll leave it at that.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Happy Haiga Day!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

pilgrim's journey

draco's silver tongue
becomes flagellant's whip

salvation will not be
forthcoming while #maga
remains an expediency

Poetry Friday--"Sweet August"

I wrote this poem back in the cold days of February as part of a Laura Shovan's yearly February daily writing challenge. We were required to use these words taken from an article on women writers:

Unicorn
Cabin
Glut
Cousin
Fever
Sing
Kitchen
Flee
Peach
Sour
Bonus: refuge

The poem is much better suited to today, and, its illustration, makes me drool!

I don't come from a large extended family such as the one in this poem, but, I've read a lot, and I have an imagination!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. I took the photo a few years back, cropped it, and enhanced the color a bit. But, even without the enhancement, the peaches were mouthwatering.

Text:

Sweet August

Outside, Gran's cabin
a glut of cousins
some real, others
of the kissin' type.

Inside, bodies
crammed peeling
and cooking ripe
peaches for jam.

All fevered with
the heat and smells
of each other and
the steaming kitchen.

Sour dispositions
were made affable
by the young ones'
tales of unicorns

and the old ones'
fervent singing:
"Let thy grace
my refuge be..."

It was August
and it was sweet.

A Journey through the Pages is hosting this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Haiku Sticky #422

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

streets now cleared
...protest footage still on
an endless loop

Happy Haiga Day!

On Friday Irene Latham posted a swap poem she had received from Margaret Simon. Irene explained, "Margaret's poem was from a prompt in THE PRACTICE OF POETRY by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell to use a Greek Philosopher's quote as an epigraph."

You should definitely read Margaret's poem, which in turn inspired a poem by Irene. Irene concluded her post with this, "Anyone else want to write a poem inspired by a Greek philosopher?"

How could I resist the invitation?

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

Outdoor Café

The things you really need are few and easy to come by; but the things you can imagine you need are infinite, and you will never be satisfied.
~ Epicurus

outdoor café
nectar sipped from
a flute

though the air
is clear, warm, and perfumed
notes are taken
--would we also bother
to record number of sips?

bees and daisies
printed on the tablecloth
...no one looks up

Poetry Friday--"In Nature"

Last Friday, Carol Varsalona posted a poem she had written based upon ten words selected from an article on the benefits to children of being out in nature. The article comes from the Center for Parenting Information.

I have also taken up the challenge of writing a poem from the ten words selected from the article:

children

creative

curiosity

explore

listening

nature

outdoors

relaxation

senses

stewardship

I ended up with a sequence of haiku. I used all the words (or a variant of the words) except for "listening." I used "to hear" in its place, which is arguably different, but close enough.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

In Nature

walk in the woods
all senses a-tingle
...so ready

curiosity
enhanced by exploration
...children defined

outdoors...
creation of creatures
from clouds

noticing stewards:
chipmunk drops an acorn
purple finch poops

late afternoon
quiet enough to hear
the quiet

relaxation...
how easily anxiety
capitulates


Visit Margaret at Reflections on the Teche for this week's Round-Up. You'll be glad you did!

Haiku Sticky #421

I had a bit of fun playing with my shadow the other day!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

my legs
so long and lean
afternoon shadows

Happy Haiga Day!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

at the shore
arguing the merits
of catch and release

Poetry Friday--Spark Postcard Exchange

I had the month of July to send out four postcards as part of an exchange arranged by Amy Souza of Spark: art from writing: writing from art. Unlike the Spark challenge, the creation of our postcard art is not dependent on an inspiration piece. I decided to go with the broad topic of summer treats. Here are the four postcards I sent:

Summer watermelon is always a treat, but not as much fun as it was in the "olden" days before the seedless and personal-size varieties came along!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

2017
watermelon-- the fun
bred right out of it

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

a hint
of sweetness and salt
...summer kisses


The following one actually started out to be about clam chowder! Funny how things change along the way.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

beachcombing...
my mother always said
"patience is a virtue"

Here's the sign as it appeared on the chowder vendor's window:

No explanation for this one is necessary. By the end of August you can substitute the word peach for blueberry!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Tet:

blueberry pancakes
muffins pie bread oatmeal jam
...late July

Now go visit Donna at Mainely Write. I wouldn't be surprised if she has some Maine blueberry poems in her files!

Haiku Sticky #420

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

pick-your-own
August is peach time
yes, yes, yes!